Soldier apologizes for 'mistakes' at Abu Ghraib

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Sgt. Javal Davis pleaded for leniency Thursday in the sentencing phase of his trial for abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib, saying he hoped a few minutes of poor judgment would not end his Army career. "I'm not a perfect soldier -- I'm not G.I. Joe," Davis said on the stand, providing a sometimes tearful explanation of his acts. "Everyone wants to be, but we all make mistakes." He also apologized to the Army jury. The penalty phase is expected to conclude today and the jury will begin deliberations.

N.J. probe finds no role for ice in jet wreck

TETERBORO, N.J. -- Investigators said Thursday they have found no evidence of ice on the wings of a corporate jet that skidded off a runway, crossed a busy highway and slammed into a warehouse. Investigators interviewed two employees of a company that services jets at Teterboro Airport and the pilot of an airplane that was waiting to take off behind the jet that crashed Wednesday. None saw any evidence of ice on the wings or other surfaces of the plane, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

Fingerprinting ordered by sheriff for traffic citations

PHOENIX -- Sheriff's deputies in the Phoenix area on Thursday began asking drivers getting ticketed for certain traffic violations to provide their fingerprints, drawing criticism from civil rights activists. The fingerprinting is part of a pilot program that Sheriff Joe Arpaio says will help fight identity theft in Phoenix. The city has the highest per-capita rate of identity theft complaints in the country, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The fingerprinting would help identify people with stolen or falsified driver's licenses, the sheriff said. It also ensures that innocent people whose identities are stolen do not get charged with crimes they did not commit.

More flights delayed in 2004 than in 2003

WASHINGTON -- Congested skies and bad weather last year resulted in more flight delays, more mishandled baggage and more complaints about airline service than in 2003, the government announced Thursday. Arriving at least 15 minutes late last year were 21.9 percent of flights for the biggest airlines, which carry the vast majority of passengers. That represents a 22 percent increase in late arrivals over 2003, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics says in a report.

Astronomers discover 'hot spot' on Saturn

HONOLULU -- Astronomers using a giant telescope atop a volcano have discovered a hot spot at the tip of Saturn's south pole. The infrared images captured by the Keck I telescope at the W.M. Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island suggest a warm polar vortex -- a large-scale weather pattern likened to a jet stream on Earth that occurs in the upper atmosphere. It's the first such hot vortex ever discovered in the solar system. The team of scientists say the images are the sharpest thermal views of Saturn ever taken from the ground. Their work will be published in today's editions of the journal Science.

Colo. professor's remarks on 9-11 prompt dismissal

AURORA, Colo. -- University of Colorado administrators Thursday took the first steps toward a possible dismissal of a professor who likened World Trade Center victims to a notorious Nazi. Interim chancellor Phil DiStefano ordered a 30-day review of Ward Churchill's speeches and writings to determine if the professor overstepped his boundaries of academic freedom and whether that should be grounds for dismissal. The raucous board of regents meeting drew dozens of protesters who back Churchill; at least two were arrested for disrupting the meeting and another was led away in handcuffs.